06 01 03 - Condoleezza Rice to pressure Turkey

The Washington Times, January 3, 2006
Embassy Row -By James Morrison
Pressure on Turkey
Sixty members of Congress are urging Secretary of State
Condoleezza Rice to pressure Turkey into withdrawing troops from Cyprus, ending its blockade of Armenia and recognizing the Armenian "genocide" of 1915.
They also urged her to oppose further congressional visits to the Turkish-Cypriot side of the island, which is diplomatically recognized only by Turkey. Three members of the House visited the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus last year, after Turkish-
Cypriots supported a reunification plan proposed by the United Nations. Greek-Cypriots rejected the plan.
The House members who signed a letter to Miss Rice last week also questioned her meeting in October with Turkish-Cypriot
President Mehmet Ali Talat.
The letter, written by Rep. Jim Costa, California Democrat, said the European Union already is demanding that Turkey end its blockade of Armenia and withdraw troops from northern Cyprus. The European Union admitted Cyprus as a member under the Greek-Cypriot
government.
Mr. Costa, whose Central Valley district includes 60,000
Armenian-Americans, said Turkey is undermining its own self- interests with its blockade of Armenia, claiming Turkey's foreign policy is "held hostage by the interests of Azerbaijan." Turkey imposed the blockade after Armenia supported an armed uprising by
ethnic Armenians in Azerbaijan.
He also urged Turkey to recognize the conflict between Armenians and the Ottoman Turkish Empire during World War I as genocide.
Armenians say the genocide took more than 1.5 million lives, but Turkey argues that the lives were lost during a conflict between Turkish and Armenian forces.
Turkey denies a genocide occurred.
On Cyprus, Mr. Costa noted, "Not only has Turkey failed to recognize Cyprus, but it continues to occupy illegally over 37 percent of the island with a standing force of 43,000 Turkish troops after invading the country in 1974 and expelling over 180,000 Greek- Cypriots."
Turkey moved forces onto Cyprus to protect Turkish-Cypriots after a coup engineered by Greek military officers who wanted to annex the island with Greece.
Mr. Costa recognized the strategic and geographic importance of Turkey.
"Turkey is at the crossroads of Europe, the Caucasus, Central Asia and the Middle East," he said. "It has the opportunity to play an important role in the ongoing developments in the region."

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